n. [ OF. plovier, F. pluvier, prop., the rain bird, fr. LL. (assumed) pluviarius, fr. L. pluvia rain, from pluere to rain; akin to E. float, G. fliessen to flow. See Float. ] 1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds belonging to the family Charadridæ, and especially those belonging to the subfamily Charadrinsæ. They are prized as game birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling, the true plovers, as the crab plover (Dromas ardeola); the American upland, plover (Bartramia longicauda); and other species of sandpipers. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Among the more important species are the blackbellied plover or blackbreasted plover (Charadrius squatarola) of America and Europe; -- called also gray plover, bull-head plover, Swiss plover, sea plover, and oxeye; the golden plover (see under Golden); the ring plover or ringed plover (Aegialitis hiaticula). See Ringneck. The piping plover (Aegialitis meloda); Wilson's plover (Aegialitis Wilsonia); the mountain plover (Aegialitis montana); and the semipalmated plover (Aegialitis semipalmata), are all small American species. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bastard plover (Zool.), the lapwing. --
Long-legged plover, or
yellow-legged plover. See Tattler. --
Plover's page, the dunlin. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Rock plover, or
Stone plover, the black-bellied plover. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Whistling plover. (a) The golden plover. (b) The black-bellied plover. [ 1913 Webster ]